and　to　add　that　he　was　bringing　with　him　a　noisy　stranger；　who
  was；　in　all　probability；　the　friend　generally　reported　to　be
  staying　with　the　squire　at　the　great　house。
  Had　the　major's　daughter　guessed　right？　Was　the　squire's
  loud…talking；　loud…laughing　companion　the　shy；　sensitive
  Midwinter　of　other　times？　It　was　even　so。　In　Allan's　presence；
  that　morning；　an　extraordinary　change　had　passed　over　the
  ordinarily　quiet　demeanor　of　Allan's　friend。
  When　Midwinter　had　first　appeared　in　the　breakfast…room；　after
  putting　aside　Mr。　Brock's　startling　letter；　Allan　had　been　too
  much　occupied　to　pay　any　special　attention　to　him。　The　undecided
  difficulty　of　choosing　the　day　for　the　audit　dinner　had　pressed
  for　a　settlement　once　more；　and　had　been　fixed　at　last　（under　the
  butler's　advice）　for　Saturday；　the　twenty…eighth　of　the　month。　It
  was　only　on　turning　round　to　remind　Midwinter　of　the　ample　space
  of　time　which　the　new　arrangement　allowed　for　mastering　the
  steward's　books；　that　even　Allan's　flighty　attention　had　been
  arrested　by　a　marked　change　in　the　face　that　confronted　him。　He
  had　openly　noticed　the　change　in　his　usual　blunt　manner；　and　had
  been　instantly　silenced　by　a　fretful；　almost　an　angry；　reply。　The
  two　had　sat　down　together　to　breakfast　without　the　usual
  cordiality；　and　the　meal　had　proceeded　gloomily；　till　Midwinter
  himself　broke　the　silence　by　bursting　into　the　strange　outbreak
  of　gayety　which　had　revealed　in　Allan's　eyes　a　new　side　to　the
  character　of　his　friend。
  As　usual　with　most　of　Allan's　judgments；　here　again　the
  conclusion　was　wrong。　It　was　no　new　side　to　Midwinter's　character
  that　now　presented　itselfit　was　only　a　new　aspect　of　the　one
  ever…recurring　struggle　of　Midwinter's　life。
  Irritated　by　Allan's　discovery　of　the　change　in　him；　and　dreading
  the　next　questions　that　Allan's　curiosity　might　put；　Midwinter
  had　roused　himself　to　efface；　by　main　force；　the　impression　which
  his　own　altered　appearance　had　produced。　It　was　one　of　those
  efforts　which　no　men　compass　so　resolutely　as　the　men　of　his
  quick　temper　and　his　sensitive　feminine　organization。　With　his
  whole　mind　still　possessed　by　the　firm　belief　that　the　Fatality
  had　taken　one　great　step　nearer　to　Allan　and　himself　since　the
  rector's　adventure　in　Kensington　Gardenswith　his　face　still
  betraying　what　he　had　suffered；　under　the　renewed　conviction　that
  his　father's　death…bed　warning　was　now；　in　event　after　event；
  asserting　its　terrible　claim　to　part　him；　at　any　sacrifice；　from
  the　one　human　creature　whom　he　lovedwith　the　fear　still　busy　at
  his　heart　that　the　first　mysterious　vision　of　Allan's　Dream　might
  be　a　vision　realized；　before　the　new　day　that　now　saw　the　two
  Armadales　together　was　a　day　that　had　passed　over　their
  headswith　these　triple　bonds；　wrought　by　his　own　superstition；
  fettering　him　at　that　moment　as　they　had　never　fettered　him　yet；
  he　mercilessly　spurred　his　resolution　to　the　desperate　effort　of
  rivaling；　in　Allan's　presence；　the　gayety　and　good　spirits　of
  Allan　himself。
  He　talked　and　laughed；　and　heaped　his　plate　indiscriminately　from
  every　dish　on　the　breakfast…table。　He　made　noisily　merry　with
  jests　that　had　no　humor；　and　stories　that　had　no　point。　He　first
  astonished　Allan；　then　amused　him；　then　won　his　easily　encouraged
  confidence　on　the　subject　of　Miss　Milroy。　He　shouted　with
  laughter　over　the　sudden　development　of　Allan's　views　on
  marriage；　until　the　servants　downstairs　began　to　think　that　their
  master's　strange　friend　had　gone　mad。　Lastly；　he　had　accepted
  Allan's　proposal　that　he　should　be　presented　to　the　major's
  daughter；　and　judge　of　her　for　himself；　as　readily；　nay；　more
  readily　than　it　would　have　been　accepted　by　the　least　diffident
  man　living。　There　the　two　now　stood　at　the　cottage
  gateMidwinter's　voice　rising　louder　and　louder　over
  Allan'sMidwinter's　natural　manner　disguised　（how　madly　and
  miserably　none　but　he　knew！）　in　a　coarse　masquerade　of
  boldnessthe　outrageous；　the　unendurable　boldness　of　a　shy　man。
  They　were　received　in　the　parlor　by　the　major's　daughter；　pending
  the　arrival　of　the　major　himself。
  Allan　attempted　to　present　his　friend　in　the　usual　form。　To　his
  astonishment；　Midwinter　took　the　words　flippantly　out　of　his
  lips；　and　introduced　himself　to　Miss　Milroy　with　a　confident
  look；　a　hard　laugh；　and　a　clumsy　assumption　of　ease　which
  presented　him　at　his　worst。　His　artificial　spirits；　lashed
  continuously　into　higher　and　higher　effervescence　since　the
  morning；　were　now　mounting　hysterically　beyond　his　own　control。
  He　looked　and　spoke　with　that　terrible　freedom　of　license　which
  is　the　necessary　consequence；　when　a　diffident　man　has　thrown　off
  his　reserve；　of　the　very　effort　by　which　he　has　broken　loose　from
  his　own　restraints。　He　involved　himself　in　a　confused　medley　of
  apologies　that　were　not　wanted；　and　of　compliments　that　might
  have　overflattered　the　vanity　of　a　savage。　He　looked　backward　and
  forward　from　Miss　Milroy　to　Allan；　and　declared　jocosely　that　he
  understood　now　why　his　friend's　morning　walks　were　always　taken
  in　the　same　direction。　He　asked　her　questions　about　her　mother；
  and　cut　short　the　answers　she　gave　him　by　remarks　on　the　weather。
  In　one　breath；　he　said　she　must　feel　the　day　insufferably　hot；
  and　in　another　he　protested　that　he　quite　envied　her　in　her　cool
  muslin　dress。
  The　major　came　in。
  Before　he　could　say　two　words；　Midwinter　overwhelmed　him　with　the
  same　frenzy　of　familiarity；　and　the　same　feverish　fluency　of
  speech。　He　expressed　his　interest　in　Mrs。　Milroy's　health　in
  terms　which　would　have　been　exaggerated　on　the　lips　of　a　friend
  of　the　family。　He　overflowed　into　a　perfect　flood　of　apologies
  for　disturbing　the　major　at　his　mechanical　pursuits。　He　quoted
  Allan's　extravagant　account　of　the　clock；　and　expressed　his　own
  anxiety　to　see　it　in　terms　more　extravagant　still。　He　paraded　his
  superficial　book　knowledge　of　the　great　clock　at　Strasbourg；　with
  far…fetched　jests　on　the　extraordinary　automaton　figures　which
  that　clock　puts　in　motionon　the　procession　of　the　Twelve
  Apostles；　which　walks　out　under　the　dial　at　noon；　and　on　the　toy
  cock；　which　crows　at　St。　Peter's　appearanceand　this　before　a
  man　who　had　studied　every　wheel　in　that　complex　machinery；　and
  who　had　passed　whole　years　of　his　life　in　trying　to　imitate　it。
  〃I　hear　you　have　outnumbered　the　Strasbourg　apostles；　and
  outcrowed　the　Strasbourg　cock；〃　he　exclaimed；　with　the　tone　and
  manner　of　a　friend　habitually　privileged　to　waive　all　ceremony；
  〃and　I　am　dying；　absolutely　dying；　major；　to　see　your　wonderful
  clock！〃
  Major　Milroy　had　entered　the　room　with　his　mind　absorbed　in　his
  own　mechanical　contrivances　as　usual。　But　the　sudden　shock　of
  Midwinter's　familiarity　was　violent　enough　to　recall　him
  instantly　to　himself；　and　to　make　him　master　again；　for　the　time；
  of　his　social　resources　as　a　man　of　the　world。
  〃Excuse　me　for　interrupting　you；〃　he　said；　stopping　Midwinter　for
  the　moment；　by　a　look　of　steady　surprise。　〃I　happen　to　have　seen
  the　clock　at　Strasbourg；　and　it　sounds　almost　absurd　in　my　ears
  （if　you　will　pardon　me　for　saying　so）　to　put　my　little　experiment
  in　any　light　of　comparison　with　that　wonderful　achievement。　There
  is　nothing　else　of　the　kind　like
  it　in　the　world！〃　He　paused；　to　control　his　own　mounting
  enthusiasm；　the　clock　at　Strasbourg　was　to　Major　Milroy　what　the
  name　of　Michael　Angelo　was　to　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds。　〃Mr。
  Armadale's　kindness　has　led　him　to　exaggerate　a　little；〃　pursued
  the　major；　smiling　at　Allan；　and　passing　over　another　attempt　of
  Midwinter's　to　seize　on　the　talk；　as　if　no　such　attempt　had　been
  made。　〃But　as　there　does　happen　to　be　this　one　point　of
  resemblance　between　the　great　clock　abroad　and　the　little　clock
  at　home；　that　they　both　show　what　they　can　do　on　the　stroke　of
  noon；　and　as　it　is　close　on　twelve　now；　if　you　still　wish　to
  visit　my　workshop；　Mr。　Midwinter；　the　sooner　I　show　you　the　way
  to　it　the　better。〃　He　opened　the　door；　and　apologized　to
  Midwinter；　with　marked　ceremony；　for　preceding　him　out　of　the
  room。
  〃What　do　you　think　of　my　friend？〃　whispered　Allan；　as　he　and　Miss
  Milroy　followed。
  〃Must　I　tell　you　the　truth；　Mr。　Armadale？〃　she　whispered　back。
  〃Of　course！〃
  〃Then　I　don't　like　him　at　all！〃
  〃He's　the　best　and　dearest　fellow　in　the　world；　〃　rejoined　the
  outspoken　Allan。　〃You'll　like　him　better　when　you　know　him
  betterI'm　sure　you　will！〃
  Miss　Milroy　made　a　little　grimace；　implying　supreme　indifference
  to　Midwinter；　and　saucy　surprise　at　Allan's　earnest　advocacy　of
  the　merits　of　his　friend。　〃Has　he　got　nothing　more　interesting　to
  say　to　me　than　_that；_〃　she　wondered；　privately；　〃after　kissing
  my　hand　twice　yesterday　morning？〃
  They　were　all　in　the　major's　workroom　before　Allan　had　the　chance
  of　trying　a　more　attractive　subject。　There；　on　the　top　of　a　rough
  wooden　case；　which　evidently　contained　the　machinery；　was　the
  wonderful　clock。　The　dial　was　crowned　by　a　glass　pedestal　placed
  on　rock…work　in　carved　ebony；　and　on　the　top　of　the　pedestal　sat
  the　inevitable　figure　of　Time；　with　his　everlasting　scythe　in　his
  hand。　Below　the　dial　was　a　little　platform；　and　at　either　end　of
  it　rose　two　miniature　sentry…boxes；　with　closed　doors。
  Externally；　this